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Solar Industry At Work

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Vice President Joe Biden talks with staff at the National Renewable Energy Lab's Process Development and Integration Laboratory (PDIL). The PDIL brings together technical experts from NREL, the solar industry, and universities for collaborative research.

Image: Dennis Schroeder (NREL)

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Steven Bohn, an engineer at SunEdison oversees SunEdison's testing facility at SolarTAC in Aurora, CO. The SolarTAC mission is to increase the efficiency of solar energy products and rapidly deploy them to the commercial market.

Image: Dennis Schroeder (NREL)

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NREL scientists Ki Ye and Joe Berry peer into the glass siding of a deposition instrument to view the latest results of an experiment with a new material.

Image: Dennis Schroeder (NREL)

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NREL Senior Scientist Robert Tenent working on a small sample of thin film lithium-ion conductors in the molecular layer deposition lab.

Image: Dennis Schroeder (NREL)

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Brian Lawson and Kenesaw Burwell work on panels that the Energy Department is using to leverage a Power Purchase Agreement with Sun Edison and Xcel Energy.

Image: Dennis Schroeder (NREL)

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A silver, silicone wafer reflects the face of NREL research scientist Hao-Chih Yuan. He is working in a lab at the Solar Energy Research Facility.

Image: Dennis Schroeder (NREL)

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NREL engineer Michael Kempe, holds photovoltaic samples he is exposing to a saturated salt solution to control humidity.

Image: Dennis Schroeder (NREL)

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Kyle Travis, left and Jon Jackson, with Lighthouse Solar, install microcrystalline PV modules on top of Kevin Donovan's town home.

Image: Dennis Schroeder (NREL)

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Adam Modert, with Mortenson Construction uses specialized software to focus Amonix 7700 concentrated photovoltaic panels. The Amonix 7700 is the first terrestrial photovoltaic system capable of converting one-fourth of the sun's energy into usable electricity.

Image: Dennis Schroeder (NREL)

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Crews work around the clock installing mirrored parabolic trough collectors, built on a site that will cover 3 square miles at Abengoa's Solana Plant in Gila Bend, Arizona. When finished, the Solana Plant will generate 280 MWs of clean, sustainable power - serving over 70,000 Arizona homes.